The Graduate Student Association was founded in 1981 to improve the quality of graduate-level education and to enhance graduate life at the University of Maryland. The collection spans from 1981 to 1985 and consists of organizational records and records of operation such as minutes, reports, surveys, membership, and the association's constitution and bylaws.

Important Information for Users of the Collection

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Preferred citation:

Graduate Student Association records, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries.

Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.

Status:

This collection is PROCESSED.

Historical Note

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) of the University of Maryland at College Park was first recognized as a University organization during the 1981-82 school year. Though there had been numerous graduate student groups prior to its inception, the GSA was the first to include all graduate students at the University as members. In addition, there had not been a graduate student association at College Park in nearly six years, since the Chancellor's Graduate Student Advisory Council disbanded in 1975. The Graduate Council, a separate group of professors and other faculty members had no student representation.

Thus in 1981, the GSA was founded to "improve the quality of education and enhance graduate student life at the University of Maryland." To further this aim, the GSA undertook to:

1) provide graduate students an outlet for "discussion of internal and external issues";

4) enhance graduate student social life through activities and functions.

Through these activities, the GSA hoped to better the graduate students' situation at the University of Maryland. The Graduate Student Association has also tackled such issues as shuttle bus access, graduate student housing and fees, and the graduate students' position regarding taxes and the Internal Revenue Service.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

This collection consists of the administrative records of the Graduate Student Association of the University of Maryland at College Park from 1981 to 1985. These records include minutes and agendas, correspondence, reports, surveys, and their constitution and bylaws.

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

The records of the Graduate Student Association of the University of Maryland at College Park were donated to the College Park Libraries by then-president Sharon Sykora in 1986.

Processing Information

Processed by:

Christopher Becker, June 1989.

Processing note:

The records of the Graduate Student Association were transferred from their original folders into acid-neutral ones; all metal paper clips were removed and replaced by plastic ones over protective paper. In transferring the documents into other folders, they were also rearranged into the series listed above and placed in protective, acid-neutral boxes.

Encoded by:

EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Dan Schwartz, May 2006. Edited by Malissa Ruffner, January 2009.

Arrangement of Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series 1: Organization Records, 1981-1982 (0.25 linear feet)

This series contains the records of the Graduate Student Association during its organizational phase in the 1981-1982 school year. It includes the proposed and eventual constitutions and bylaws, as well as related constitutions and bylaws from other existing or defunct student and graduate student organizations at the University of Maryland and other universities. This series is arranged alphabetically.

Description

Series

Box / Reel

Folder / Frame

Bylaws, 1982

series 1

box 1

folder 1

Constitution, 1982

series 1

box 1

folder 2

Miscellaneous, 1981-1982

series 1

box 1

folder 3

Office Space, 1984

series 1

box 1

folder 4

Related Constitutions and Bylaws, 1981-1982

series 1

box 1

folder 5

Representation and Membership, 1981-1983

series 1

box 1

folder 6

Series 2: Administrative Records, 1981-1985 (0.50 linear feet)

This series contains the Graduate Student Association's records of operation once organized. It includes minutes and agendas of meetings, correspondence, publications, reports of committees, and other related materials. This series is arranged alphabetically.

Description

Series

Box / Reel

Folder / Frame

Campus Senate, 1983

series 2

box 1

folder 1

Committees, 1982-1983

series 2

box 1

folder 2

Correspondence, 1970-1985 and undated

series 2

box 1

folder 3

Correspondence, 1970-1985 and undated

series 2

box 1

folder 4

Correspondence, 1970-1985 and undated

series 2

box 1

folder 5

Correspondence, 1970-1985 and undated

series 2

box 1

folder 6

Correspondence, 1970-1985 and undated

series 2

box 1

folder 7

The Graduate Connection, 1982-1985

series 2

box 1

folder 8

Graduate School Colloquium, 1985

series 2

box 1

folder 9

Graduate Student Conferences, 1982-1985

series 2

box 1

folder 10

Minutes and Agendas, 1982-1985

series 2

box 1

folder 11

Programs, 1982-1985

series 2

box 1

folder 12

Reports, 1982

series 2

box 1

folder 13

Tax Status of Graduate Assistants, 1977-1982

series 2

box 1

folder 14

Related Material

The newsletter published by the GSA and the Graduate Student Advisory Council can be found in the University Publications collection of the Archives and Manuscripts Department.

For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.

Selected Search Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Maryland Libraries' Catalog. Researchers desiring related materials about these topics, names, or places may search the Catalog using these headings.